THE CAT RETURNS

The rest of the day was stressful and busy. Mr Reid the cat kept piling on the tasks. At first they were easy ones like typing an email, and then updating a new appointment into his schedule. And then filing, and then vetting a project. I ended the day consolidating the week's accounts.

I started understanding why the others might have quit. Mr Reid was an emotionless rock. The only times he spoke was when something needed admending. With him, no news is good news.

But he was just a cat. Cats were like that.

"Good work." Said Mr Reid the cat at the end of the work day.

"Thank you. I need to report to HR now, can you sign this evluation sheet?" I handed Mr Reid the form.

He checked the "excellent" option for every question without reading them.

"Thanks." I received the form and picked up my purse and left without looking back.

In the HR office, Ellen looked surprised at my evaluation sheet, "How did your first day go?"

"Busy. But it was alright. About the same as my last job." I answered.

Ellen nodded, "Alright. You may go straight to the CEO's office from tomorrow onwards."

"Will do, thanks!" I answered airily and left.

Whew, I have discovered the secret of dealing with extra strict bosses. Just pretend he is a cat.

The next few days went by as before. I even attended some meetings with Mr Reid. He was terse and stony throughout, his voice quiet and growly almost at all times. It was as if he was exercising great restraint everyday.

I think its because his wolf needed to run, or hunt, or kill something. Which was the other reason why I think he couldn't keep his staff. They were probably terrified by his intensity.

But I knew he was just a cat.

I think it would be very different if I were actually trying to impress him. But he was a cat, one who I had already suffered unspeakable embaressment in front of, so there was no reason to care about my image any more.

The third reason why I think his turnover rate was so high was probably because he was too darn sexy for his own good. I've lost count of the times I was working and he walked past my desk and I ended up staring at his butt walk all the way to his office door.

By Friday, I've decided that my boss was even hotter than Harvey.

But he was just a cat.

On Saturday, he appeared at my front door. I found him just standing there when I was leaving to buy milk.

"I'm here to see my sister." He said.

And then he proceeded to follow me round the corner to the nearby convenience store. I picked up a bottle of strawberry milk, a bag of cookies, and some cold sandwiches for lunch later.

When I put the items on the counter, he took out his wallet and paid. A la Harvey. I knew it was a lycan thing!

My friends had to work today. Some company event so I would be left on my own devices for a day. I planned to do laundry. That's right, I should tell him, "Clara has a company event today. She wont be back till later."

He nodded, "Alright."

He carried my food home for me and handed it to me at the entrance to our apartment block.

Then he went to his car withot a word. Funnily enough, it was also a midnight blue car. Exactly the same color as Harvey's car. Was that a Lycan thing too? But unlike Harvey's sporty Porsche, Mr Reid drove a very long BMW.

I guess he was leaving now since Clara wasn't here. I mean, that would actually make him a perfectly normal person, sans the fact that he didn't say goodbye. But my heart, it ached just a little bit to see him leave.

OMG. Did I just fall in love with another hot werewolf? Didn't I learn anything from being with Harvey?

Dammit.

He's just a cat. He's just a cat. He's just a cat.

The cat returned after I started eating. Its not like he made any sound at the door. He didnt even ring the bell. I was eating my cookies when I just felt him there, just behind the door. I opened it, "Do you want to come in?"

The last time I tried inviting a hot werewolf in, I was drunk. This time... He was a cat visiting his sister. It didn't count.

He had his laptop with him and sat at the dining table across from me. And then he started working.

Which meant he started working as if I was working too. I ended up setting his laptop up into our WiFi and printer. And then taking out my laptop to help. I didn't have access to a lot of restricted information because I was on my personal laptop.

"Where is your work laptop?" He asked.

"At work." I told him pointedly.

"Next time bring it home with you." He growled.

He had to be kidding me.

If those other reasons weren't the ones that chased off his former staff. This might be it.

He's just a cat. He's just a cat. He's just a cat.

"If I pretend to like doing work at home with you on a Saturday morning, will you pretend you didn't notice whenever I am late?" I asked after he passed me his laptop to type while he prepared lunch in the kitchen.

"You are always punctual." He told me.

"Yes, exactly like that." I said. And then I laughed at my own joke. What? Someone had to laugh!

He watched me for a moment, his usual stoic expression unmoving and then continued to cut the pear.

Lunch was simple. Sunny side eggs, grilled ham, buttered toast, and pear,

After eating I went back to finish up the report. We ended up sharing one screen, and I was forced to smell expensive chocolates in fancy boxes. Was that a new kind of men's cologne nowadays?

It made me crave so bad. And it didn't help that he was so close. There was a time when he typed and I watched his long fingers tap on the keyboard, and his long hair splay on his broad shoulder, and the way his lashes were so long, or his mouth would press in a thin line when he was thinking, or his breathing sounded almost like a purring sound...

He's just a cat. He's just a cat. He's just a cat.

I was very relieved when Clara came back. By then, the cat had washed the dishes, helped me with my laundry while i finished up the report. Every now and then I would ask, "What rate do you want to use?" Or "Is this right?" Or "What the hell is this?" And he would look up from the pile of laundry and answer me from my bed.

My CEO was a really hot lycan and he was on my bed.

He's just a cat. He's just a cat. He's just a cat.

Like I said, I was very relieved when Clara and the others got back.

The cat looked relieved too. He put a hand on Clara in a quick embrace, and then growled lowly at Marco, properly freaking him out. And thus satisfied, he left.